Our very favorite soup – made in a slow cooker! Get ready to please the whole family with this copycat Slow Cooker Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup! Comfort food at it’s best!
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This post has been a long LONG time coming. Back in November 2011, just a couple months after I started Mom On Timeout, I shared a recipe for our very favorite soup: Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana Soup. Somehow, miraculously, my pictures were actually kinda decent, considering my complete lack of skill and knowledge, and that post has done very, very well.
Not surprising at all because that soup is just so darn good!
My husband has been asking me to make this into a slow cooker recipe for YEARS. I’m not that good of a wife but I finally managed to get around to it last week. We had another busy week with soccer and slow cooker meals were definitely on the menu and everybody was craving Zuppa Toscana.
While it’s definitely a fall and winter favorite, we enjoy this soup year round. It’s so flavorful and filling and is the best kind of comfort food.
I made a couple adjustments to my original recipe including increasing the amount of both the sausage and bacon. Kind of a meat lover’s version if you will. My husband said it was just the right amount. Everything but the cream and the kale goes in the slow cooker right at the start.
You can cook your sausage and bacon the night before so the prep is quick in the morning. I put the soup together right after dropping the kids off at school and it took me just about the same amount of time to dice the onions, slice the potatoes, and mince the garlic as it did for the sausage and bacon to cook. I baked both in the oven.
About 20-30 minutes before you’re ready to dig in, throw in the chopped kale. A few minutes before you’re ready to eat, the heavy cream goes in making your heart go pitter patter and your tummy start to rumble.
Enjoy!
Slow Cooker Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients
- 32 oz low-sodium chicken stock or broth
- 3 cups water
- 24 oz spicy Italian sausage cooked and crumbled
- 8 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled (I bake my bacon)
- 5 medium russet potatoes 1/8-1/4 inch slices
- 1/2 large onion diced
- 2-3 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups kale chopped
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Place all ingredients except for kale and heavy cream into a large slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until potatoes are tender.
- Stir in kale and let cook for another 30 minutes.
- Stir in heavy cream, let heat through (five minutes) and serve.
- We like to serve this soup with some grated Parmesan cheese on top. Delicious!
Break out the slow cooker for these easy and delicious meals:
Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Slow Cooker Philly Cheesesteaks
For all slow cooker recipes, go HERE.
For all dessert recipes, go HERE.
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Frances says
This looks so yummy! I will trying this! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
You are welcome! Thanks for stopping by Frances!
Sara M. says
Might be tasty; but my husband and I would be dead by morning with all that red meat! 🙁 Way too much fat and calories and saturated fat & processed meats and nitrates in that for it to be worth it. Just for soup you know?
I’m going to work on a healthier version; we like to use Morning-star Farms (veggie) sausage; all the flavor (really!) and less than half the fat.
I bet we could use better nutritionally vegetable broth too. Now I have a project! 🙂
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Sounds like you have a plan of attack Sara – good for you!
Cheyenne says
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought pork was not considered red meat?
I’m making this recipe right now! Has an hour left to go, that ks for the recipe I can’t wait to eat!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I think you’re right Cheyenne 🙂 I hope you enjoyed your dinner last night!
Amy Huntley@theidearoom.net says
Seriously love this soup! Making some this week! The family will love it!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thanks so much Amy!
Ashley @ Kitchen Meets Girl says
This is going on the menu plan for next week–slow cooking is my fave and this soup look fabulous!!
Julie @ Julie's Eats & Treats says
Did you seriously just make my FAVORITE soup in the slow cooker?! I could like give you a big kiss right now!!!!!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
I love this soup at Olive Garden! So excited that I can make this at home now and in the slow cooker makes this perfect!
Emily says
This is my favorite soup. Can’t wait to try this slow cooker version!
Karen @ The Food Charlatan says
Cream definitely makes my heart go pitter patter! I have a recipe for this soup too, it NEVER gets old. Never thought to do it in the slow cooker! Genius lady!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy says
I used to beg my parents to take me to the Olive Garden at least once a week just so I could get this soup and breadsticks, of course 😉
Krystle(Baking Beauty) says
I have seen a ton of Zuppa Toscana recipes floating around but never a slow cooker one. Perfect for these chilly but busy weeknights. Pinned!
Liz says
Thank you Trish for the nice soup recipe.
Jenn @ Deliciously Sprinkled says
I love this soup from Olive Garden and I’m SO excited to be able to make it anytime I want, thanks to you!! Pinned 🙂
Amy @Very Culinary says
I just made this for dinner last night! Truth. One of my favorite soups. Will try it in the slow cooker next time!
Lisa says
Oh My Gosh! I can’t believe I have not made this soup in the crockpot! I’ve made it on the stovetop (it’s a favorite here too) but never in the crockpot. The lightbulb just never went on with the thought! I don’t add bacon to mine but I think I should lol.
Baby June says
What a comforting meal that looks like! I would love a bowl of this on a cool fall day 🙂